Button-fastener



UNITED STATES .ATEN-r OrFIcE".

- ALEXANDER GRACE WILKINS, or LMEADVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA BUTTON-FASTENER.

SPECIPICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 3%5562, dated July 13, 1886.

Application filed April 12, 1886. Serial No. 198,566. (No model.)

fication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to devices for attaching buttons to leather and other materials; and the object of my invention is to produce a fastening which shall be adapted for use in connection with various forms of buttons, and which shall resist all strains incident to use and wear without being torn out of the fabric or opening, so as to be detached therefrom in any manner.

My invention consists in a button-fastening composed of a single piece of wire extending along one surface of the material for a suitable distance, then passing through the mate rial, and having its ends bent toward each other against the opposite surface of the mate rial, in such manner that the two ends of the wire shall extend past each other and lie flush with or beyond the points at which the wire penetrates the material, as hereinafter described and claimed.

My invention further consists in the peculiar curvatureof that part of the wire or fastening which extends along the upper surface of the materiahor the surface opposite to that against which the ends of the wire are bent, as hereinafter described and claimed.-

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I will proceed to describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a plan View of my improved fastening applied to a piece of leather or other material. Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the same on the line x x of Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is a view of the fastener applied without the prongs being upset.

In the said drawings, a designates a piece of fabric-such as the leather of a shoe at the point where the but-tons are secured, or any other material to which a button or similar device is to be secured.

of buttons, or with clasps or other similar de- I vices.

My improved fastening consists of a wire or metal strip, the part c of which extends along the upper or outer surface of the material a for a suitable distance. At 0 c this wire or strip is bent at right angles to the part c, and extends through the fabric, as shown. The ends 0 c are then bent toward each other at right angles to the parts 0 and extend past each other, so as to overlap the points where the parts 0 c penetrate the fabric. It will now be clearly seen that a double and extended bcaringsurface is provided beneath the fabric, and that it is utterly impossible to either bend the ends 0 c outward from the material, or to force said ends through the material by any strains incident to use or wear.

The part c of the fastener is preferably formed with a short central U-shaped curve, 00, connected by two longer crowning curves, as 00, extending from curve 00 to the parts cc' of the fastener, so that the material shall be held as in a bight between the upper part, c, and the ends 0 0 as shown in Fig. 3. This peculiar curvature of the part c is not absolutely essential to the efficiency of the fastener, however, as the part 0 may have a single slight crowning curve or may be straightwithout departing from the spirit of my invention. Thus buttons or other fastening devices may be attached to shoes (to which my device is peculiarly adapted) without necessitating the use of particularly thick or extra strong leather, as has heretofore been the case, the fastener holding as firmly to weak or inferior leather as to leather of the best quality, owing to the double bearing afforded by the ends 0 0 It will also be seen that a firm durable hold will be had upon other materials than leather by this fastening.

The parts 0 c c 0 may be made of brass, steel, or other material, and form not only a strong and durable fastener, but one which may be supplied at a small initial cost.

' Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters by the opposite leg against the under side of [0 Patent, isthe fabric to form a re-enforce, as described.

Abutton-fastenercomprisingaloop or bend, In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my 2:, to receive the button-eye, the two reverse signature in presence of two witnesses.

5 bends w as to form a bearing a ainst the fabric, and thetwo rectangular ben ils c c, to form ALEXANDER GRACE WILKINS' the legs or tines c c of a length somewhat Witnesses: longer than the distance between the bends c J. F. CALDWELL, 0', whereby each free end of a tine or leg laps WIN S. ROSE. 

